Router table and accessories

When I first decided to make a router table my plan was to have drawers and lots of storage. But I decided to make a simple stand. It’s made out of 3/4’’ plywood and 2+4’s, I also didn’t want to buy a insert plate, so I made mine out of 1/4’’ polycarbonate. I was afraid that 1/4’’ wouldn’t be thick enough, but if I used 1/2’’ then I couldn’t raise the router bit all the way up. My router table is just a hair over 35’’ tall, which is the perfect height for me. The fence is made out of 3/4’’ plywood, and I cut out some 3/4’’ plywood triangles to keep the fence square. The top of my table is 25 3/4’’ wide, by 32 1/4’’ long which provides a pretty good sized table. I was afraid that the top wasn’t thick enough, but I put several screws and it is working great. I made a few pushsticks and router bit trays with the leftover wood I had, and I made some measuring gauges which are really handy to have. (If you want to see the measuring gauges, go to my project list and check them out! I have the HF 2hp fixed based router in the table, it works out great! I’m so happy I made a router table and I wish I would of done it a long time ago!

AJswoodshop's Projects

Everyone's Projects

Project tags/keywords

14 comments so far

Nice work bud I too have just recently made my own very small router table for an old craftsman router my grandpa gave me to use. I found this thing to be very awkward to use handheld as well as creating a huge mess in my small basement style shop. I thought why not try and make a simple stand to mount this thing in and see how it performs and if it does well then I can go from there!! No need to buy one because they look quite simple enough to make.

Have yet to actually use it yet due to still working on the fence. Getting the dust chute set up and trying to figure out a way to have the fence slide back and forth on this very small piece of melamine I used approx. 12 ¾” x 17” yes way too small now that I can see this together with the router. Instead of just clamping the fence in place which will probably work out just fine. Having the fence on im lacking the space needed to really make this useful in the future. Like I said though if it works good enough I will definetely make a better one later on down the road.

Your pics are looking way better with each post you do. Larger than some of the earlier ones, and from what I can see your way ahead of me in woodworking and I have 15 or so years on you….lolSlow down so I can catch up!!Great work and look forward to the update on this build.

Nice job! I have a couple observations that maybe you could incorporate for future upgrades (I don’t know about you, but I am always improving my jigs and fixtures)

1. I don’t see a power switch anywhere. That’s a pretty good sized table, which is good, however you have quite a reach to get to that switch if something gets away from you.

2 – I’m not sure the 1/4” polycarbonite is a good idea. I have worked with it a bit, and it tends to sag or get bouncy when weighted down (like with a router). I can’t tell how big the base actually is, but if it is the same size as a standard router table insert, I would consider using a more stable material – like simply using some 3/4” plywood or melamine. Not only can the flexing affect your cuts, it could be dangerous if the bit bounces up and down.

3 – Consider some lateral stretchers on the legs, or cover all 4 sides with some hardboard. That will keep it from racking and if you cover all 4 sides it will keep the dust contained a bit. Just be sure one section is hinged for clean out and router access.

4 – Featherboards make your work a lot safer, and are 100% necessary for some router table operations. It would be a good idea to get some T-Track (you can find some really inexpensive stuff on amazon) for the fence and the table. You can make your own featherboards, or pick some up. They are pretty cheap. In addition a miter gauge is very handy when routing the shorter end grain side of boards

Edit: It may be how the fence is positioned in the pic, but it looks the the polycarbonate is already flexing quite a bit. You can see how your fence is level with the plywood top, but there is a noticeable sag when it gets over the router and router bit.

Thanks for the great tips! I am purchasing a switch for it when I get the money, for now I just reach under the table and turn it on. The 1/4’’ polycarbonite does not sag, the fence I will fix soon, I’m just really busy right know and wanted to get this done so I could work on some christmas projects. Thanks for the tips!

AJ, having seen all of your projets and knowing your pretty darn finiky, which is good, next time make a template for your screw placements….. It is all in the details….. As mentioned before get some runners on the bottom so it does not rack on you and lossen up…. Worse yet buckle when your routing…... Keep up the good work…..

Nice project , AJ. You’ll find you use it a lot. I had made my old insert for my last router table out of 3/8” Lexan ( polycarbonate) and it was fine for a lot of year. I don’t think you’ll be using any oil around it but if you do, be careful of any chlorinated oil or solvents touching the polycarbonate, it will make it very brittle and lead to cracking. We had a huge problem with that where I used to work. Chlorinated oil was getting on the polycarbonate glides and they were breaking all over the place!!

Is your insert screwed down? I bought a Woodpecker Quicklift and I had to put 4 screws to hold it down for 2 reasons- Pulling up the router to change bits and the vibration with it loose let sawdust creep under it and left it too high some times.

Glad to see you finally made a router table!!!!!!!!!!!!!............Jim

-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!! Variety is the Spice of Life!!

Jim,When I dropped my insert plate into the hole I cut out, one corner wasn’t flush. I put one screw two make it level. I think the insert won’t crack, I made several cuts today and it’s working great! The thing about my router, it has a locking lever that unlocks the router, so you can just pull the router out and change bits.

I’m with GShepherd on the ‘add runners on the legs’. That’ll make a huge difference on the stability of the table, even with the ten screws on each corner. Plus when your routing you can put your foot on the runner to add extra ‘stay put’ on the table from moving (or use sand bags)